EMBERIZA 359 



Hob. South-east Europe, of rare occurrence as far west as 

 Italy, S. France, and Algeria ; Asia Minor ; Palestine ; as far 

 east as the Caucasus ; wintering in Arabia and N.E. Africa. 

 It has also been obtained on Heligoland. 



Frequents rocky localities, bare hill-sides, places covered with 

 low scrub, and the borders of the desert. In general habits it 

 is said to resemble E. hortulana, and its note is low, but cheery, 

 often repeated like that of that species. The nest, which is 

 placed on the ground under a grass tuft amongst stones, or in 

 a low bush, is constructed of grass-bents, lined with fibres and 

 horsehair, and is very neat and compact. The eggs 4 or 5 in 

 number are dull white or pale reddish marked with pale pur- 

 plish shell-blotches and blackish brown surface-spots and 

 blotches, with but few scratches, and in general character 

 approach nearest to those of E. hortulana. In size they average 

 about 0'77 by 0'61. 



518. PlNE-BUNTING. 

 EMBERIZA LEUCOCEPHALA. 



Emberisa leucocephala, Gmel. N. Com. Ac. Sc. Imp. Petr. xv. p. 480, 

 tab. 23, fig. 3 (1770) ; Dresser, iv. p. 217, pi. 217 ; David and Oust. 

 Ois. Chine, p. 329 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 549 ; Gates, 

 F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 254 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 590, E. pithy - 

 orniS) Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs, ii. Anliang. p. 710 (1773) ; Naum. 

 iv. p. 276, Taf. 104, fig. 3 ; Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 180. 



Fichtenammer, German ; StrenatJca-beloshapotchnaya, Russ. 



ad. (Siberia). Crown, nape, and a streak below the eye white ; 

 forehead, sides of the crown and a few streaks on the hind-crown, blackish ; 

 lores, sides of the head and neck and entire upper throat rich chestnut-red ; 

 upper parts pale chestnut, on the back and wing-coverts marked with 

 blackish ; wings and tail dark brown, with warm buff external margins, 

 the two outer rectrices largely white ; under parts white, on the breast and 

 flanks blurred with pale chestnut ; beak horn -brown, paler below ; legs 

 flesh coloured ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'5, wing 3*65, tail 3'2, 

 tarsus 0'75 inch. The female lacks all chestnut on the head and throat, these 

 being greyish with dark streaks, the throat whiter, and the breast and 

 flanks are blurred and streaked with brown. 



Hal. Siberia from the Ural to the Amoor, Manchuria; 

 Mongolia ; wintering in North China, the Himalayas down to 

 Garhwal, Gilgit, Kashmir, and Afghanistan. A rare straggler 

 to Europe, where it has been obtained in Turkey, Austria, 

 Hungary, Italy, South France, and once on Heligoland. 



